


Badlands

by GalacticShark17, sheepister



Category: DB - Fandom, DBGT - Fandom, DBZ - Fandom, Dbs - Fandom, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Z
Genre: AU, Cross Over, Dothraki, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Father/Son, Game of Thrones - Freeform, Lone Wolf and Cub, M/M, Mad Max - Freeform, Multi, Son/Father, Vegeta/Trunks, dadgeta, druid, geets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2018-11-22 17:56:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11385384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalacticShark17/pseuds/GalacticShark17, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheepister/pseuds/sheepister
Summary: If you enjoyed Mad Max, Game of Thrones, or Lone Wolf and Cub, then this AU may be for you! A story of survival in a post apocalyptic world. The journey of an ex-soldier and a young punk. Will they learn how to get along together or will their actions end up getting one another killed? Dadgeta/Trunks. (I like to think of this as an alternate version of the Mirai timeline.)





	1. Renegades

His POV

He was falling. A blaze of rapidly approaching yellow sand was the last thing he saw, before his face hit the dirt with enough force to crack a man’s skull. But if there was one thing this former soldier was, it was thick-headed. Or at least, ex-soldier in the making. The voices of men; warriors he’d once fought alongside, rang from above. It only took a few seconds for the man to get back to his feet; much too a few onlookers surprise. For once in his damned life Vegeta was searching for a way out of a fight, rather than looking forward to one.

 

His head craned up, back towards the high desert cliff top he’d fallen from. Vegeta spat a mouthful of blood into the sweeping sand. He wasn’t too damaged, not really, just a little roughed around the edges. Dirty red streaks ran from his scalp and streamed over his left eye, his clothing was tattered and he could have sworn a rib or two were broken, but it wasn’t anything he hadn’t dealt with before. What had him on the run was the idea of what was on his trail. If it had been any other circumstance, any other opponent at all! He’d of charged in proud and eager, pounding his chest like a battle drum all the way. But this was different, and the soldier knew it. He’d gone too far. There would be no walking away from this fight. If he wanted to beat this opponent, he’d have to fall back and regroup.

 

As much as it sickened him, Vegeta bit back his ego and pushed onward, straight into the depths of the little village that clung to the bottom of the cliff’s face. It wasn’t difficult getting lost among the hundreds of people that scattered through the dirty village streets. And kami, dirty was putting it lightly. The stench of rotting corpses and un-bathed bodies burned his nostrils. At least his dust covered clothing and scuffed boots were blending in. After pushing his way past drones of mindless beggars, running through winding huts, he was sure he’d made himself scarce. Or at least, he hoped so.

 

He’d still need a way out of this damn village though. It wouldn’t take long for his pursuer to catch up to him. Then, he spotted it. Old, rusted, and with a tacky paint job underneath, but the man was desperate enough to steal a cart at this point - which he sarcastically imagined the vehicle as. It was a pick-up truck. The wind-swept tent it was parked beside seemed to be abandoned enough. After a quick look around, he popped open the creaky hood. He’d be out of sight in no time. All he had to do was hot-wire the damn thing.

* * *

 

Her POV

Time spent away from her stupid ‘husband’ was her favorite. It didn’t happen that often, especially given the fact he had so many wives to rotate tasks. He didn’t seem to really trust any of them anyway, and for good reason. It wasn’t as if any kind of ‘marriage’ was willing; why would anyone marry someone so disgusting-looking? He at least let her work in his lab once in a while, but even then, he always tried hitting on her and feeling her up the entire time. It made her sick. But she and a couple other wives were to go fetch water from the middle of the village, where the vendors sold it, straight from the center of the community. She was told a few times that there was once a time where there was water just about everywhere, and that it fell from the sky at least a few times a month. But not anymore.

 

She held the massive pot on her head as she made her trek down to the middle of the village, from the house built into the side of the cliff. The other wives were chatting casually, discussing pregnancy–one was a few months along now–but Bulma tuned it out. It wasn’t as if they enjoyed being around this man any more than she did. Who could be even moderately attracted to someone like “Dr. Gero”? But sometimes it was easy just to take it slow and discuss their lives and not dwell on the negatives. She understood that. But today, Bulma’s mind was elsewhere. Especially when news rang in the village about one of Frieza’s main men becoming a traitor and trying to escape.

 

It was all anyone was talking about in the marketplace. What he had done, where he was, where he was planning on going, what Frieza would do if they managed to drag the man back– but of course, none of the people in the village were Saiyan. How were they supposed to fight a Saiyan? Maybe a half-dead one, but– … The arguing among the villagers continued as Bulma stood in line with the two other wives, waiting for water. But then she caught sight of someone. A Saiyan. There were so many people going about their days that it was easy not to notice, especially when he was so covered in dirt and just mulling along in the crowd, but she got a glimpse of the give-away: a tail. Suddenly, Bulma got an inescapable urge. If he could leave, why couldn’t she? He was clearly off to somewhere– And she wanted to come with. Without even thinking, she pressed the giant pot into the arms of the wife behind her and lost herself in the crowd, desperately trying to follow the spiky-haired man with a tail. She could hear her name called as she left the others behind, but she just kept going.

 

She almost lost him, but she managed to keep an eye on him as he rounded to the edges of town, where there was less of a crowd. She eventually caught up to him and watched him as he made his way to a pick-up truck that she recognized as being from one of the higher-ups in the village. Not many people had cars nowadays. She watched him, just far away to not be noticed, as he popped open the front and looked it over. It certainly wasn’t his car. Was that what he was planning on running away in? She glanced back toward the rest of the village, and toward the cliff-side that her house resided in. …She didn’t want to go back there. He couldn’t argue with a little tag-along, could he? It’s not like she’d be any trouble.

 

She slowly sneaked closer and closer to the car, crouching and trying to go unnoticed as he focused on hot-wiring the car. And, as soon as she was close enough, she pulled herself up into the back of the pick-up truck and dunked down, grabbing the tapestry that was used as a tarp and hiding herself with it. If she could just go on like this, who knew? Maybe he could get far enough that even if he found her and kicked her off, she’d still be safe from her old life. Maybe she could get to some place where there were greens everywhere, not just in gardens, and where water rained from the sky for everyone to drink. It certainly sounded pleasant.

* * *

 

His POV

So far so good, it appeared as if no one had spotted him. His pair of dark eyes peered over the rusted opened hood of the old pick-up, scanning the horizon. The desert winds were bellowing sand across the calling wasteland that bordered the village. The groups of tents and huts just in his line of sight seemed to be relatively quiet, aside from the random voice or two. As far as the prince knew, he’d gotten lucky, he really had lost his pursuers in this mess of a village that’d lead him to this little spot of silence. How was he supposed to know he wasn’t alone?

 

His mind worked quickly, his fingers tearing wires from their sockets and binding them together for a sloppy fix. Sparks lit up his face, singing his skin, but he didn’t care. He barely felt it. The only thing he could focus on, was escaping. The moment the engine rumbled to life, the dirty soldier slammed down the hood and flung himself straight through the door’s opened window and into the driver’s seat. Smashing it into gear, his boot hit the petal, and the village began to shrink into oblivion.

 

He couldn’t keep his eyes off of his rear-view mirror, not for a long while. Forever glancing to the left, then the right, and back towards the little broken mirror that hung from above. Still no sign of anyone trailing him under the hot, blazing sun. Slowly, his breathing regulated and his tensed muscles dared to relax, allowing him to focus more on where he was going. Kami, had he royally gotten himself into some fucked up shit this time.

 

He was no longer a soldier, not of the army he’d been serving for a solid portion of his life, anyhow. However, he wasn’t afraid. He was excited. There was no one for him to turn to, nowhere for him to go, and that suited the man just fine. He’d find a way, he always did. Still, the idea of what treason he’d just committed was still avidly buzzing through his system, like a powerful drug. He’d actually done it, he’d told his bastard of a ruler off, and he couldn’t have been happier with that fact. Sure, it may have stripped him of any rights and gotten his ass beaten, but it’d been a fight he’d been waiting for, for a long time. How good had it felt to strike him? The creature he loathed more than anything in the known world. Absolutely phenomenal.

 

His hand clenched out beside him, his gaze lingering down at the fist that’d done the deed, that’d started the fight. His knuckles were ripped open and his bronze skin was caked in sweat, silt, and blood. It was worth the mayhem he’d caused, all of it.

He should have never taken his eyes off of his mirrors, though… Just when everything was starting to look up, shit was about to go down. A gang of soldiers, sent by Frieza no doubt, were rapidly gaining on them. Three vehicles full of men, and brandishing weapons. One hung out of a passenger window, firing the first shot. The piercing bang of a bullet escaping its barrel snatched Vegeta’s attention, whirling his head towards the sound. Shit, shit shit shit, he’d been followed after all! And there was sure to be a bounty on his head by now. He may have fought alongside these soldiers once, but gold held more weight than loyalty. Especially when the orders came from the highest of hierarchies.

* * *

 

Her POV

She was successfully hidden! She had thought that he’d notice her at some point, especially when she heard the rev of the car’s engine start and the footsteps round the car’s side. Would he find her? She was waiting for the tapestry to just be torn off of her, but it never came. Instead, she felt the sway of the car as he lifted himself inside, and… movement. The car was in drive, and by the looks of it, they were out of here! She prayed to Kami for the fortune he’d blessed her with as she laid hidden, too nervous about the idea of being found to even so much as move a muscle. What if she were to lift her head now? What if he so happened to see her, stop the truck, and throw her off? She wasn’t about to risk that.

 

Moments passed, and what had happened slowly weighed down from her. Where she’d lived her whole life was passing her by now. The girls she lived with, the stupid, awful old man that she’d been forced to marry, any burdens she’d had just an hour ago– It was all gone. She wasn’t sure what had compelled her to follow the Saiyan, but so far, so good. The only thing that was truly worrying to her… What happened when she was found? Maybe she could slip off the truck once he was far enough from the village. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about what he’d do to her. The entire thing… It was exhilarating, but at the same time exhausting. It both relieved burdens and put more on her.

 

More time passed, and eventually, Bulma fell asleep. It wasn’t as if the truck was that comfortable, but the quietness, having to lie under a blanket-like fabric completely still, and the gentle movements of the car as it traveled eventually lulled her into a dreamless sleep. It must have been a short sleep, however; she felt groggy when she came to to the sound of gunshots and yelling. It was lucky that she managed to avoid the irresistible urge to sit up suddenly, or maybe she’d be seen by someone. Instead, she listened carefully and ever-so-gently lifted the tapestry to peep a single eye out from the pick-up.

 

Prettied up vehicles with spoilers and spikes and skulls and plenty of other ornaments were driving their way. Three of them, but with so many people piled into them that you’d think they were clown cars. Men dressed in war paint, brandishing various guns and clubs and other weapons, shouting and hollering. She chewed her lip and lowered herself back down. Great, this was too good to be true. She certainly couldn’t just jump out now– But none of them looked to be Saiyan. Maybe she was still safe. The Saiyan looked pretty beaten up, but maybe they could get through this. She just had to hold out hope for him.

His POV

The revving of over powered engines was closing in behind them. Vegeta’s dark eyes darted back towards his review mirror. He could already tell this was going to get bloody. Good, he always did hate running away from a fight. Maybe this would satisfy that gnawing need at the back of his brain to turn around and finish what he’d started - something he’d been trying to ignore. Turning around would be suicidal after all, and as much as the Saiyan loved a battle, he was even better with tactics. However, he didn’t expect he’d need much tact when it came to these brainless buffoons. He pressed heavy on the gas and cracked his knuckles. This would be over before it started.

 

One of the adorned muscle cars was at his left side, and then to his right! The men that covered it screamed and taunted “Running away? We’re here for your traitorous head, Vegeta!”, but the sound of their crude voices was quickly drowned out by a barrage of bullet fire. With no time to loose, Vegeta armed himself with the two pistols he carried at his sides and returned fire. The three vehicles jostled, banged, and rammed against one another! And then they began to sling their dirty, war painted bodies onto the old pick-up truck whenever the cars made contact.

 

Instead of one of the boarding soldiers getting the upper hand on Vegeta like he’d expected, the Saiyan was ready for him. The idiot soldier made for a perfect shield from the next round of fire. The Saiyan snapped his attacker’s neck without mercy. Holding the dead body to his chest, he covered his own back from incoming fire, taking a few more kills with shots to the head. Once his human shield was full of holes, the corpse made for a perfect dummy to press the gas while Vegeta climbed out of the passenger side window and onto the hood of the truck. Then, he jumped straight onto the next vehicle. Right into the center of the chaos…

 

The men may have had their numbers, but they were no match for the Saiyan’s sheer strength and will. The vehicles sloshed over hills and went flying over the sand, only to come crashing back down. Fists, knives, and guns swung between the men. Vegeta pushed one man into the spikes of his own car, and even more were thrown under the wheels. At one point he had one guy by the throat, only to toss him over the hood of his truck, sending the man flying across and into the windshield of the next car, causing the car to swerve recklessly and flip over a dune. One car down, two to go.

 

Snapping one of the long poles that stuck up from the cropped and chopped vehicle, Vegeta jammed it straight through the roof and into the drivers head, pinning the now dead soldier to his steering wheel. The pole must of gone through the flooring too, because the car instantly flipped. Vegeta jumped just in time, landing back in the bed of his own truck, next to dead bodies and debris.Two cars down, one to go. And then he felt it, a bullet burning its way into his shoulder. It only surprised him for a split second. The driver of the biggest muscle car in the pack had him in his line of fire. Right behind them, bumping and ramming the bed of the truck, was the mother of all muscle cars. It looked like the head of a giant chrome dragon. Fire sprayed from its nostrils, and when its giant mouth opened it revealed a network of revolving saw-blades.

* * *

 

Her POV

She heard the revving engines getting closer. She lay low as they approached, shouting for Vegeta’s head. Vegeta; that was his name. She never really paid that much attention to politics. She knew of Frieza, but what did she care to learn about the name of his men? She was a lowly woman anyway, just meant to give birth to some ugly old hag’s children. She pressed her lips tight, letting the thoughts drift off to instead focus on listening. There were more gunshots, and the car jostled from movement– and it crashed its side hard into the other car, sending her reeling to the other side of the bed of the truck. She struggled with the tapestry for a moment, but soon popped her head up just in time to avoid being trampled on by a couple of the men hopping onto the truck. She didn’t take any time to think; she only acted, knowing full well these men posed a danger to her as much as they did  to Vegeta.

 

She bit down on the ankle of the one she was closest to, making him yell out. She pulled his other foot out from under him in another quick movement, leading to him toppling over the side of the truck and under the wheels of the car behind them. Her hair was grabbed by the second man, holding a gun to her head with the other hand, but in the short amount of time he was distracted by the car he came from flipping over thanks to Vegeta’s work, Bulma managed to bite down hard enough on the wrist attached tot he hand holding the gun that he let go. She took it from him and aimed it right at him, blasting a shot right through his head. He crumpled to the ground, and she shot another man just as he hopped in the bed of the truck after the other two. And while Vegeta was busy, she forced open the window in the back of the truck and clambered inside to the second row of seats, smaller and just behind the driver’s and passenger’s side.

 

She dragged the tapestry with her and shut the window behind her, quickly hiding out at the foot of the seats. She heard the car jostle again as Vegeta’s feet landed on the bed of the truck, and she pressed her hands together in prayer that he was far too busy fighting the others that he hadn’t noticed her. But just a moment later, she heard another gunshot. It wasn’t over yet, was it? Why was he so important that they couldn’t just let him go? Was Frieza that proud and obnoxious of a man? –Another gunshot. This one went right through the back window of the car. A few more, and Bulma felt glass hitting her back, the only thing protecting her being the thick tapestry she’d been using to hide.

 

Would the Saiyan survive this? Maybe they’d be satisfied with killing him, and leave the car alone. If that happened, she could just shove that dead corpse she saw out the door and continue on the road alone. It worked out all the better for her that way, anyway– no having to worry about what the Saiyan’s reaction to her presence would be, and no having to worry about finding shelter if it turned out he wasn’t so keen to her being in the truck with him. …Hell, maybe she should be praying that Kami lets him die. It makes everything so much easier for her.

* * *

 

His POV

Just as Vegeta felt as if he’d rid himself of most of the chaos, he found himself staring down the mouth of a mechanical beast. The great jaws of the metal dragon bit and clashed its teeth mere inches from the speeding truck’s tailgate. The many saw blades that hid in its maw created sparks just at Vegeta’s boots whenever the two cars met, tearing in to the bed of the truck a little more each time. The soldier driving the mad vehicle of steel and fire took aim a second time. This round was meant for Vegeta’s head, but it’d take more than a bullet to take down a Saiyan, especially this battle hardy bastard.

 

Gunfire was quick, but the Saiyan’s reflexes were quicker. Before the bullet left its barrel, Vegeta had already dodged the oncoming attack. His opponent was all too easy to predict, but how the hell was he supposed to take down a thing like that? Jumping for the truck could mean getting eaten alive. And then he saw it, the answer to his problems just lying there at his feet. Under a mesh of chains, dead bodies, and steel bars was none other, than a rocket launcher. Had that little gem always been there? There was no time to question why it’d slipped his vision before. The only important thing was getting it on his shoulder as soon as possible.

 

Reaching for his weapon had left him open, however. A bullet singed its way into is side, and another to the leg. Blood spurted from his body whenever a new metal slug burrowed its way into his dense muscle, but he never gave up his task. Vegeta felt his knee long to buckle, but he refused it, instead willing himself as steady as stone. He only had one shot, but as if he’d ever allow himself to miss, especially given the close range. The hissing rush of the rocket leaving its shaft blasted past the Saiyans shoulder, and then it was all over in a fiery blast of orange and red. Flames engulfed the metal beast, exploding it into a rain of debris over the desert as the truck finally left the scene behind.

 

After tossing the now useless bazooka back into the bed of the truck, the blood soaked Saiyan crawled right over the side of the charging vehicle. Hanging along the side, he jerked the drivers door open, allowing the corpse to tumble out into the passing sand. The door slammed shut behind him, thinking he’d finally taken back his stolen transportation. Never knowing what lay hidden beneath a tapestry just at his back. Maybe all the blood loss was starting to affect his vision. Pressing down the cold pain that was beginning to sting all over his body, Vegeta grit his teeth. But then the truck began to drift to the left, and then the right, and then did a full circle when its driver collapsed into the next seat. His hand still clutching desperately onto the stirring wheel, the truck was doing doughnuts in the burning sand.

* * *

 

Her POV

After the gunshots, the car jostled violently as it was smacked up against by the beast of a truck. She jostled with it but tried to keep in place best she could, pressing her hands between the seats for some support. There were more gunshots, and Bulma was beginning to wonder if the Saiyan would even survive. Would she get lucky this time? Be left with a car by herself? She just had to hope that if they killed him, the entire truck wasn’t going to go down with him. She listened closely only to be met with the sound of a massive explosion. The car rattled, but seemed in-tact. She was still alive. Silence ensued.

 

A few moments passed, and she heard the car door open. The body was dumped, from what she could hear, and Vegeta regained control of the car. Alright, so… She would continue on as she had planned originally, she supposed. Well… She’d been hoping that, until the car started to go from one side to another. Was he under attack again? She heard a sudden thud, and could feel it continuously spinning in one direction; did he die? Maybe it was the gunshots. It would have been more convenient for her if he’d just died when outside. How much of a pain would it be for her to throw him out now? He looked heavy, even if he seemed like he was her size.

 

She waited a moment longer, before peeping up from the dirt-covered tapestry. She moved her head to glance around the seats, to see him lying there, clutching the steering wheel pathetically. …But he looked dead to her. Or mostly dead. He was bleeding from his wounds, and his breathing was looking incredibly shallow. Ugh, he couldn’t even just be completely dead? With her luck, if she waited too long for him to pass, then he’d just end up using up all the gas in the pick-up truck. Then she’d really be screwed. …Geeze. Hell, with her luck, as soon as she got anywhere, her collar would start going off. She shifted to sit up and stared at him from over the seat a second longer. Still lying there, barely breathing. She looked out into the distance; all she could see was sand. Not even any sandstorms. That was good, at least.

 

She climbed over the seat, not caring about whether or not she pressed her weight on him. No, she was just trying to get to the steering wheel and pry his stubborn hand off of it. She sat down on the leg that was still lying over the driver’s seat, taking another glance at him as she pulled his hand off. He was bleeding pretty badly; he surely had to die soon. Maybe she should say a prayer for him or something? …Feh, he was one of Frieza’s men, she was sure he did something bad, even if she didn’t really care about politics. She knew enough about pillaging to know how she felt about guys like that, even if she didn’t particularly care to learn names. He could die for all she cared, and then she could throw him out and continue on her way to freedom.

 

“Nngh… Let go, you stubborn, stupid hand…”

* * *

 

His POV

Was the world spinning? No, the truck was spinning. God damn it he was losing it! The light-headedness that was over taking his senses was allowing for little to no control over his motor-skills. His hand gripped ferociously onto the stirring, he had to get this damn truck under control or it’d be lights-out for him! Vegeta just wouldn’t allow that to happen. There wasn’t a prayer in heaven or hell that could end him like this, not on his watch! Despite the warm liquid that was slowly coating his body, past the throbbing in his head, he willed himself upward just enough to catch a glimpse at the driver’s seat. Just in time to see an unwanted guest crawl out from their hiding place and into his life… Or what remained off the last few seconds of his life, anyhow.

 

“Grnnn, where the hell- get the hell off!” He bit out angrily, gritting his blood stained teeth like a pissed off canine. Refusing to let go of the stirring wheel, he fought for control. He was just about to attempt to kick the intruder off of him when a searing pain shot through his right leg. Her careless crawling had landed her knee directly into one of the bullet wounds that littered his thighs. He may of been a tough son of a bitch, but Kami had that hurt. The sound that roared from his mouth was not of a man, but a beast.

 

The sudden jolt of pain had given him enough awareness to move himself from his current position. He may have been bleeding out, but even a dying Saiyan was like trying to wrestle a wounded bear. Shoving the intruding girl towards the driver’s door, the man drove himself backwards against the passenger side, separating them. There, he could get a better look at his new enemy and assess the situation. The blurry color of silvery lavender sat across from him; it was a girl. How low had he gone in just a few hours that a pipsqueak female like this one could get the jump on him… He spit curses through his growls.

 

His hand had instinctively gone for the gun that was always latched to his side. The silver barrel pointed straight for her from where he held it against his red soaked shirt. The brute was panting by now, his vision fuzzy, but he still wasn’t willing to go down. Not without a fight, and especially not when he saw an opportunity like this. The barrel of his gun swayed, motioning towards the stirring wheel, all the while the brute never took his hot-coal eyes off of her, giving her a glare that could scared the grim reaper himself.

 

“Drive,” he demanded hoarsely, leaning his heavy body against the passenger door. Maybe this was his ticket out of here after all. As bitter as it made his soul, Vegeta had to admit he was in no condition to drive the damn thing. If he wanted out of here she’d have to do it, otherwise he’d have no need for her, and bang. How he’d survive once he’d reached a decent destination, he hadn’t a clue yet. He’d figure that out along the way while he watched her.

* * *

 

Her POV

She thought he had passed out by now. Any normal person would have passed out at the very least with those kinds of injuries– or worse, died. But apparently not, because as soon as she started to try and steer the car, he yelled at her to get off of him. She snapped her head in his direction with wide eyes, and the fight for control of the steering wheel began. She at least tried to keep the wheel straight so they continued to go forward, rather than in a circle again. She managed to keep ahold of it through the little skirmish, too, but only because he shoved her against the door and made his escape to the passenger’s side. The car began sliding to a halt from the removal of his foot on the gas pedal, but she was too busy staring at Vegeta to care. She inched a little closer, wondering how successful she would be at opening the passenger-side door and just throwing him out. But before she could move a substantial amount, a gun was pointed at her.

 

She followed his orders, shifting in place in order to put her foot on the gas pedal and get driving again, only looking back for a moment to make sure she could see the remains of the cars they fought before in the background, in order to ensure they were going forward. It wasn’t as if she disagreed with this; it’s what she wanted. …Maybe he would die somewhere along the ride, anyway. He was bleeding so heavily. But… Then it occurred to her–what if she ran into trouble again? She wouldn’t be able to deal with it. What was she going to do then? This ‘Vegeta’ had wiped the floor with the men in those cars. Maybe he was a necessity… She continued to watch him as she drove, given there was really nothing to look at in the sand in front of them. …Damn it.

 

“I can… I can fix you up,” she offered, her eyes traveling from the gun to his face. “You’re bleeding a lot. How do you know you’ll survive for much longer? I’ve had to treat wounds before, so I know how to do it. I’m sure there’s something in this car that can help me take out those bullets, and even if there’s no gauze, I can use my clothes. You’re probably going to bleed out and die if I don’t do it.” Maybe he’d actually listen to her. Sure, it was completely possible he was still a bad man and she’d end up regretting this, but as far as she was concerned, the unknown was much more terrifying. If she made herself useful to him, he wouldn’t be as bad to her. That’s what she’d learned from being Gero’s wife for so many years, anyway. How could this be any different, except for no longer getting abused like a doll in the name of procreation?

 

“We’re far enough away by now that I doubt anyone would find us, anyway. The sand will cover our tracks. We can stop now and then I can fix you up, and we can get going again. …No need to think I’ll betray you or something, either. I hid on here because I wanted to leave, just like you. It’s a shithole, there’s no way I’m going back.”

* * *

 

His POV

She was watching him, he was very aware of it. Throughout the bumps and jerks made by the truck bouncing over the rugged sand, she stared at him, and the brooding looking brute stared directly back. Just because she was a female wasn’t reason enough to lower his guard. There had been females among his ranks before. Even if she did appear to be nothing more then ‘human’ Vegeta wasn’t going to underestimate an enemy, not in his current battered and bruised state at least.

 

The hand that wasn’t threatening her with a gun slipped over his abdomen, roaming to his far side. There, his free fingers plugged up one of his seeping bullet holes. His legs and arms he wasn’t worried about; a bullet here, a stinging sensation there. His kind were known for their resilient bodies and dense muscle. Not like the soft, squishy flesh of their sister race, the humans. Still, his side was giving him trouble. For him, being acutely aware of a wound was never a good sign.

 

And then she said it. The creature across from him actually had the gall to point out his current weakened state. As if he’d allow anyone, especially some brat that’d stowed away in his (stolen) car to get anywhere near him! What, it wasn’t bad enough she was looking at him like some wounded mutt? He could take care of himself! He’d been through worse than this, much, much worse! His slouched demeanor straightened up, his face scrunching up so angrily that a look of pure hatred flashed across his dark eyes.

 

“I don’t need your help!” he bit venomously, “What kind of fool do you take me for? This is nothing, hear me? Nothing!” Humiliated, baffled, and on guard all at the same time, he snarled at her. Ohhh no, she wasn’t getting him that easily. Vegeta knew what this was; he was at a low point. All she’d have to do is get close enough to disarm him, or catch him in a vulnerable position, and she’d be able to finish him off. She spoke of leaving her home behind, but he wasn’t buying it. He may have been light headed but he wasn’t stupid.

 

Moments dragged by and the world began to dim in and out. It was becoming difficult to watch her, to ensure that she did as he said. Damn it. Alright, maybe it was foolish, but he’d be a dead fool either way if he didn’t do something soon. As much as Vegeta hated it, as much as it tasted like bile spilling over his tongue, he reluctantly decided to take her up on her offer. After a moment of gauging her, he muttered, “Fine,” his brow quaked with defiance, he really hated this. “Just, don’t try anything funny or I’ll snap that twig you call a neck!”

* * *

 

Her POV

He all but spat at her suggestion, instead deciding to press his finger into a bullet hole and continue to hold the gun at her. She turned her head forward again, but she couldn’t help but continue to look back at him. He stared at her silently, still holding the gun. Every few moments, she’d look back, until she stopped looking back at all. She focused on what was in front of her, though there wasn’t much happening. With the windows either broken or rolled down, her hair blew in the breeze. How long could they keep going like this, anyway? Before he died? Before the gas ran out? Her eyes traveled down to look at the fuel gauge. Halfway full. How far would that take them? Gero had a car, but she was only allowed to drive it short distances with him in the passenger seat.

 

The rolls of sand went on and on. How were the other wives doing, anyway? Was Gero angry she’d disappeared? Was anyone looking for her? The collar around her neck itched just thinking about it. What if they got this far, only for her to get taken back? Would Vegeta kill anyone following them, or would he just hand her off? He was pointing a gun at her right now– maybe he’d just find it easier to let her be captured. He probably wouldn’t be able to fight anyone else, anyway. He could barely do more than just struggle away from her when she climbed on top of him to get to the steering wheel. …Speaking of the devil, he spoke up. Her eyes flashed in his direction. He had changed his mind; he wanted her help.

 

She stopped the car and put it in park after hearing his words of confirmation. He looked like he could barely keep his eyes open, and his finger was still pushed into one of the bullet holes. Shifting her raggedy white robes around, she climbed closer to him to get a better look at how he was doing. His blood had gotten all over the car and seeped through his clothes, dark and pooling. Without even thinking, she reached for his belt and unbuckled it, before beginning to tug his pants off. With a bullet through his thigh, how else was she supposed to treat him.

 

“Put the gun down,” she murmured, not loud enough to make it seem as though she was ordering him around. She wasn’t crazy enough to say it with enough force to end up with a bullet through her head. She at least tried to get his mind off those words by adding on, “take your shirt off, too. You’re bleeding through it, anyway.” Once she got his pants off far enough to show the bullet wound through his leg, she began unraveling the dirty cloth around her feet and ankles. She used the edge of one of the lines of cloth to wipe up and clean the wound, and started wrapping it soon after, tight enough to stop the blood flow. There was no point in trying to dig out the bullets themselves; he could survive with some metal in him. Men did all the time.

 

She tied up the makeshift gauze with a knot, and next looked to the blood oozing from his side. She pulled him up from against the passenger seat and got closer, wrapping the other line of cloth all the way around his waist.

* * *

 

His POV

His words had gotten her attention quick enough; good, she was on her toes. Did she know what kind of dangerous man she was transporting? Was she aware of the kind of reward that must have been on his head? Was she planning on collecting it? By the looks of her, the woman was no more than a common whore judging by her appearance, or perhaps a miner’s wife. There couldn’t of been much value to her, he doubted she possessed any fighting skills, and probably lacked literacy if she’d been raised in that pathetic little settlement he’d found her (or she’d found him) in, really. Still, allowing anyone near him on his best of days was asking a lot. Seeking help from a stranger that was a potential threat? He knew he must have been out of his fucking mind.

 

The truck came to a rocky end in the sand, leaving the two in the middle of nowhere. Just a man, a woman, and a loaded pistol. Vegeta ground his molars together, watching her inch her way closer. Who cared about the pain or light headed-ness, there was someone approaching him - his body was put on high alert. And then she went for his pants… Instantly the brute tensed up, uncomfortable with the sudden nearness, but he knew what she was getting at, and that it had to be done. His boxer shorts were as dirty as his mud laden pants, and his golden, scarred up skin was even worse. Honestly, it’d be a miracle if infection didn’t kill him later on.

 

“Not likely,” he gruffed right back at her when she insisted he lower his weapon. He’d been holding it tighter since she’d invaded his personal space. Her soft words did little to detour his stubborn nature. While she worked on wrapping his leg, Vegeta took the moment to glance her over. She probably really was a whore; she had the look of one. Meaning she was pretty enough to line a man’s pocket, or empty one. But just before she could finish bandaging the bullet hole in his thigh, he began to shift his weight. Unfortunately she was right, the rag he called a shirt was lifted over his head and slung to the floorboards, revealing his rugged body. Then, he reached for the knife in his pocket. It left the hole in his side exposed, but there was no way he was giving up his hold on the gun.

 

Opening the blade with his teeth, his eyes flicked to her, gauging her reaction towards a second weapon, proceeding to dig out the metal slug from his thigh before she could completely tie it off. It caused more mess, but at least it was out. While she wrapped the make-shift gauze around his muscular waist, he did the same to the bullet lodged in his shoulder. It was awkward to say the least. Sure, his shoulders lifted from the passenger door to allow her to wrap him fully, but he never took his eyes off of her, even when digging a knife into his own flesh. She was close, too close, and all he could see was the silvery purple hue of her hair time and again when she moved. His nose scrunched in detest, longing for his space once again. She really must of been a whore, she’d gotten him down to his underwear fast enough.

 

“That’s enough now whore,” he was losing his patience. What if she pulled a knife on him next? He didn’t want her getting too comfortable.

* * *

 

Her POV

She could feel his eyes on her as she worked. He shifted around suspiciously, and when she glanced up, she’d found that he produced a knife from his pocket. She stared it down, not raising her head. But rather than it being used against her, he pushed it under the skin of his wound and dug out the bullet. Under her breath, she mumbled a ‘shouldn’t do that’ as she finished tying the makeshift gauze. But he did it again as she tied gauze around his waist, this time to the bullet in his shoulder. While he was busy calling her a whore, the girl’s eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. Her hand quickly reached out, grabbing the hand with the knife. She was risking getting shot, but it was instinctual.

 

“Do not do that. You’re bleeding more now, don’t you see? The body can survive with bullets inside it. You can adapt. Especially someone as adaptable as a Saiyan. If you want to live, leave the bullets lodged inside. None of your wounds are bad enough to need to pull them out or cauterize them. You’re fine with just adding pressure to stop bleeding.” She may have looked like a whore to him, and in reality been nothing but a broodmare for a dirty old man, but the dirty old man would let her learn things here and there. And she certainly knew how to deal with wounds.

“Do you want an infection, Saiyan? Do you want to bleed out and die?” she added. She could end up with her brains splattered across the driver’s seat at any moment, with her willingness to argue with him. But what was there to lose, anyway? If he were to die, she’d probably be found and killed eventually. For the time being, the best thing to do was to try and keep this man alive, if only for her own protection– if she could somehow ensure her own protection. If she managed to make herself seem indispensable, maybe… A brow flicked up as she stared at him. Her arm was still gripping his wrist. After a moment of hesitation and a glance at the bloody shoulder, she let go and instead grabbed onto her robes– the dirty cloth that swung low between her legs would be good enough. She lifted it, revealing nothing, thanks to the cloth acting as underwear in between, and held it up for Vegeta to see.

“Cut, with the knife. Low down, so I have enough fabric. You still have more wounds, Saiyan.” Surely he wouldn’t kill her for helping him; he would die without this. He may try to argue otherwise, but his arguing would be in vain. She could see how he was falling asleep before. Did he think that making himself bleed more and then killing the woman he was ordering to drive would help anything? It would only ensure his own demise. It was in both of their best interests to make sure the other lived. She may have previously hoped for him to die, but after taking it into second consideration, it had become clear to her that she could not afford that. Not with the kind of world they lived in. She’d need his protection, as much as she hated it. Protection from a man pointing a gun at her. How silly. … As long as he did not rape her, it was still better than back home.

* * *

 

His POV

A grunt from his direction was his way of scolding her for trying to tell him what to do, continuing on with picking into his muscle with the end of his dirty blade. She was lucky he was even allowing this unspeakable moment to take place. Him, allowing some low life to aid him, how insulting to his pride. Still, as much as it burned him, Vegeta was inwardly aware of just how much of an improvement he was already feeling. His head was still fuzzy and his limbs tingled due to the lack of blood running through them, but his will to live was only growing stronger.

 

Then she grabbed for the knife, and Vegeta all but strangled her. He certainly wanted to - it’d been his initial instinct rather than pulling the trigger on his gun. His chest and risen to meet her like an angry wall of stone and his teeth bared just a breath from her lips, ready to snap. Thankfully for her, he was aware of himself enough to realized what she was doing before the act became deadly. Slowly, he lowered himself back into his original position, but his guard was higher than ever before.

 

“I don’t want the damn things in my body, whore,” he emphasized defiantly, “what the hell do you care? You should just let me bleed out!” He may have said it in frustration, but the Saiyan truly was curious what she was expecting out of this. Perhaps she expected a better reward if she handed him in alive rather than just his head. She still insisted he was tending to himself wrong, too. As if being told he was nursing himself incorrectly wasn’t just adding coal to his irritable fire. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had bullet holes treated before. However, it’d always been done under a military tent or by a medic in the field. They’d always removed the pieces of shard. Granted, they’d always had proper tools on hand, too. He’d not be getting that treatment again thanks to what he’d done back on that clifftop. Still, he didn’t like the idea of being told he was out of ‘the know’.

 

His glare grew even more suspicious, but then the odd look that sparked across her face caused his own thick brow to wing upward, shooting her a similar glance. What was that expression for? Then he realized what she’d been planning in that purple head of hers. More gauze, and she trusted him enough with his knife to cut it. Stupid, but he wasn’t about to pass up treatment. The sound of ripping fabric filled the vehicle, cutting enough to wrap his shoulder and then some. His skin was sticky with drying blood, the grimy substance coating the both of them the more she moved about him. But at least he was allowing her to move this time without the threat of a gun in her face.

* * *

 

Her POV

“If you don’t want them in your body, you can wait till you get to a real surgeon and ask him to remove it! You do it now, you’ll just bleed out.” Like she gave a shit about him calling her whore. But after a glare-down, he ripped the cloth for her and let her continue to work on his wounds. His shoulder was bleeding more heavily now from him digging inside it with a knife; he better hope that infection didn’t set in. Though honestly, she doubted it. She wasn’t doing anything to sterilize the wounds. She couldn’t do anything to sterilize the wounds. But hopefully by the time he began dying of infection, she was well on her way to leading a better life, and no longer needed him.

 

She tied up the wound with her cloth, the same as the others, and looked him over. He was covered with bruises and minor cuts, but did he have any other major injuries? She tilted her head to the side as she glanced around, before noticing there seemed to be a great deal of blood on the door behind him. On his back? She leaned back slightly and took a good look at Vegeta, staring him down. He was no longer pointing a gun in her face, at least. Would he tolerate letting her face his back? He seemed fairly guarded as it was.

 

“You probably have another injury on your back, with how much blood is on the door behind you. I should look, just to make sure. You should hope that we don’t have to worry about any stitches or anything. I don’t have any way to do that for you here. But still, I need to see your back.” She waited patiently for him, glancing for a moment to the rear windshield. Glass still strewn everywhere… But nothing in the horizon. They seemed safe for the time being, but the sun was lower in the sky. What were they going to do once the sun set? It got cold at night. There was the tapestry, but would that be enough to keep them warm? …Would Vegeta even let her use it, or would he keep it all to himself? She wanted food. Maybe she should have stayed with Gero. He gave them water and food, with the amount of money and power he had.

 

“…Where are you planning on heading to?” The question came out of nowhere. She turned her head to look at Vegeta, her brows raised. “Where are you planning on going? Just traveling until you find somewhere? Or die of thirst? Because… I mean. Who knows what’s out passed this desert. It looks like it just keeps going on, for miles and miles.” It was a legitimate concern; she didn’t want to just wither away when she was just trying to get her freedom. Maybe this was a stupid decision after all? But… At least she was away from that old man. It was something. Something…

* * *

 

His POV

His eyes narrowed, watching the girl glance from the old passenger door and then out the busted rear window. So, she was trying to get his back turned, was she? And what was that glance towards the horizon, was she expecting something? He was paranoid, that was to be expected in his predicament, but he wasn’t sure what the girl was aiming for, other than perhaps slitting his neck from behind. He found her lack of guard around him both obvious and stupid. Why the hell did she care, why the hell was she still demanding to aid him? It was extremely suspicious to the war hardened animal…

 

Silently, after biting his knife between his teeth, his palm slowly swept behind him and began feeling over the ridged door. Pulling back his hand revealed a new coating of thick blood. Damn, she wasn’t lying, and it was coming out thick. His gaze lifted to hers again, the sudden thought of ‘it’d be just as easy to wrap his own wounds from here on out if he killed her’ passing over his roughened expression. Though, his back would be hard to tend to and she’d proven to be useful so far, but one wrong move on her part and he was destined to kill her. Vegeta was playing this warily; there’d be no room for second chances once she his back was turned.

 

“Make it quick,” his gravely tone bit past the blade in his mouth, before taking it back into his fingers. Carefully, cautiously, the man began to turn in his seat, but his dark eyes never tore from her. The Saiyan went as far as staring at her from over his shoulder once he’d made a complete turnaround, keeping her in his peripheral vision. The tail behind him flicked and wriggled in the space between them, clearly on alert and agitated due to his circumstances. But then it coiled in, disappearing around his waist as he allowed her close enough to touch his bare skin. He watched and listened, and that funny thing she said about the desert made him scoff under his breath like the arrogant bastard he was. Uneducated whore, he knew it.

 

“I know what lies beyond the desert,” he said with conceit, but he obviously wasn’t willing to give up too much information, "There should be enough fuel to get us to an abandoned settlement I know about. Head North as soon as you’ve finished up.” He paused, turning a little more to give her a look, “I don’t know where you’re going, whore, but I’m getting out of this fucking wasteland.” That’s all she needed to know. Vegeta didn’t exactly need his whereabouts known to the world, not when he was a man on the run. The idea began to plague him, though, now that she’d asked. Where would he go? He couldn’t go back, and even his own people could prove to be traitorous time and again. As soon as they made it to the settlement they’d part ways. Yes, he’d wonder on his own for a while, that’d be best.

* * *

 

Her POV

He was uncertain about turning his back to her, obviously. What did he think would happen? If she wanted him dead, she’d be better off letting him bleed to death. He seemed to decide that, too, because eventually he just turned around and let her do her work. His tail flapped between them; the sign of his bloodline. Why did Saiyans have tails? Maybe it helped them with balance or something. All she knew was that, according to folklore, they were a weak point. She wasn’t going to risk pissing him off by playing around with his weak point. No, she just had to focus on the task at hand– fixing him up. He had a few bullet holes lodged in his back, but in places where they didn’t look like they posed much harm. Did he know? He didn’t seem like he felt them before, with how he had to check for blood behind him for him to believe her.

 

“You know what’s out there?” Well, that wasn’t really a surprise. Of course Frieza would keep things from them. Of course Gero would keep things from her. She didn’t know anything about the world, really. She wished she did. Maybe now she’d get to find out. What was beyond the great desert? How large was the world? She’d heard of stories of large bodies of water; did they really exist? Were there really places were water just rained freely from the sky? Maybe she’d get to see them. He may have found her ignorance stupid and called her a whore for not knowing, but she couldn’t help but daydream about the possibilities as she pulled more fabric from her robes, this time from around her arm, to wrap tightly around the bullet wounds, from his chest to his waist, at an angle that covered all three in one go.

 

“I’m finished. They’re already bleeding through the cloth, but– hopefully that’ll slow it down a little while and you won’t feel like you’re going to die shortly. Try to stay awake, Vegeta.” That was his name, right? It felt a little odd to just keep saying ‘Saiyan.’ She traveled back to the driver’s seat and turned her head to look at the setting sun. Suns set to the west, so… North was a bit to the left. She turned on the car again and got started in the direction he told her to go, hoping they’d reach their destination soon. She couldn’t wait. What was out there? Not to mention that she was nervous about the sun beginning to set, and the cold air the moon brought to the desert.

 

“…How long will it be? You said we have enough gas, but will it take hours? Days? I’ve never ridden a car for very long, so I can’t tell.” She was expecting more complaints about her lack of knowledge, but they were easy enough to shrug off. Who cared if she didn’t know everything? She wanted to learn, wasn’t that enough?

“Ah… The settlement, what is it like? There’s clean water there? Food? I don’t want to go this far just to starve to death.” How pathetic of a death would that be? Yearning for freedom, killed by the limitations of her own body before she could feel truly free. “I’d like to know more about what’s out beyond the desert. I’m not surprised you know. Frieza would go out on expeditions with his men, wouldn’t they? I remember seeing them pass by the town every once in a while… Maybe I’ve seen you before.”

* * *

 

His POV

It felt strange to hear the girl use his proper name. It got the Saiyan’s attention, perking his ear to her slew of words. He didn’t remember giving it to her, had she recognized him after all? Perhaps it was due to those morons back in the muscle cars and their pathetic attempts to mock his name. Inwardly he wanted to correct her. As if ‘Vegeta’ were his only title. He was a proud warrior, a prince. She wasn’t saying it right; that name usually struck fear into the hearts of those that spoke it. Her lack of respect when using it made him want to boast. Though it would of been better had she never known. Vegeta wanted to make this a clean get away. Maybe he’d kill her after all.

 

He turned to look at her, re-positioning himself against the hard vehicle door, watching her throw the truck back into drive. His nose scrunched at the mention of Frieza. She was a curious thing, wasn’t she, but he wasn’t budging. Not a word, not a movement, nothing but the cold hard stare he was throwing from the other side of the bench like seat. He just needed her to drive; he didn’t need her for anything else, so why bother explaining anything? Though, as the minutes turned into rolling hours and the sun began to set, Vegeta found it exceedingly difficult not to fall into the trap of drifting to sleep. Normally it wouldn’t of been a problem, but as it were, his body was craving rest, a time to rejuvenate.

 

“There’s nothing of importance beyond the desert,” he finally muttered, “Nothing but legends at least. Once I re-fuel, you’d do best to go back to your brothel, or don’t, I don’t really give a shit.” The cooling desert air caught through his up-swept hair, tugging it gently out the open car window. The rocking of the truck bouncing over sandy dunes begged to lull him to sleep. He was still watchful, but comfortable. He needed a distraction, one other than the girl he’d been so adamantly watching. Feeling she wouldn’t try anything funny, his sights dipped down to the bandage that wove its way around his battered chest. She’d done a decent job of tending to his wounds, he inwardly admitted. Maybe she wasn’t lying when she’d stated she’d done this before. But why would a common whore know anything about medics? Let alone how to do it without proper materials. His gaze flashed to her again.

 

“Stop here,” he demanded roughly. “We’ll arrive there tomorrow, by noon if we’re lucky.” The beast sat up gently, expecting her to do as he said; as he did of everyone he came across. At least he was somewhat answering her questions now. As much as he wanted to drive through the night, he knew there’d be no point in wearing out his means of transportation nor arriving to the settlement without any rest prior. What if the settlement was already occupied? Sure it was abandoned, but there was always the threat of wild-lings and thieves. If he was going to have to deal with that shit, he’d need rest first, and there was no better time to stop moving then under the cover of darkness.

* * *

 

Her POV

He kept staring at her, but it was alright; he wasn’t holding a gun to her head this time. She kept her eyes on the road, trying to see anything on the horizon as he spoke. Nothing beyond the desert… But so far, it seemed the desert was massive. She could find somewhere to stay, if he could. He still thought she was a common whore, but… Who knew. Maybe she’d find a man she didn’t mind and have a fine home with a baby she didn’t mind growing in her belly. She wouldn’t mind living in a little house out away from everything she’d known before. If she could find fresh water, find a way to get food regularly… She’d be happy. She let out a small sigh at the thought, the hint of a smile passing over her face that lasted as they moved through the dunes, the air slowly getting colder as the sun set. It was a beautiful sight, the same as it always was,

 

Somewhere along the way, her collar had started beeping. Not long after that, she could feel a sting of a shock, enduring and unpleasant. She could have stopped to end the suffering she was going through, but something about that was a turn-off to her. When she looked back at the desert sand that she was kicking up in the rear-view mirror, she just thought about what her life was. What she hated. What she wanted to escape. That beeping– what if she waited around too long and the beeping ceased? Did that mean that she’d end up getting dragged back home? Despite the growing shock that was still at least somewhat tolerable, she couldn’t bring herself to stop. Not even when Vegeta told her she could. She ignored him entirely, especially when he promised that they could get there by noon. No, she couldn’t wait that long. She continued to go, her hands gripping the steering wheel tight enough that her red, sunburnt knuckles turned white.

 

The sun had set by the time he’d said to stop, having gone out in a ray of colors and beauty across the horizon and going out with a whimper. The air had gotten cold, and their only illumination was from the sky’s many stars. That was one thing… She’d heard of something called ‘light pollution,’ and she now understood it. There weren’t too many lights back home, other than fires to guide people’s ways. But it was enough that she finally understood looking up at the sky now– she could see galaxies. It looked marvelous; no other way to describe it. Truly marvelous, and with so many colors that she wasn’t used to a sky having. Perhaps she would have been able to enjoy it some more, if the shock didn’t suddenly increase in intensity to a point where she couldn’t tolerate it. She let go of the steering wheel to instinctively bring her hands to her collar, and her leg pressed down forcefully on the gas accidentally from the shock, and continued just as Bulma struggled with trying to force the damn thing off of her.

* * *

 

His POV

He watched her what felt like the longest time, and if he didn’t know any better, he could of sworn that something was bugging the girl. The way she gazed at the world around her amused him, but how she crinkled her nose now and again caught his special attention. There was no outward notion to let Vegeta know about the sting that was consequently erupting around the female’s neck every so often. To him, it looked like nothing more than a gentle jerk of her neck muscle. Perhaps she’d pulled something in their little skirmish for the steering wheel, perhaps she had a crick in her neck. He didn’t care enough to make it a priority. No, all he cared about was finding a half decent place to rest for the night.

 

And then she completely ignored his demands… Great, just great. ‘Are you disobeying my orders?!’ is what he wanted to yell, but he wasn’t a commander anymore was he? And she certainly wasn’t one of his men. Her defiance brought a dark growl from his chest, perking him up dangerously from his seat. Looking a little more imposing than before, he stared her down. Just because he didn’t have the title of a war-lord anymore didn’t mean the temperamental monkey couldn’t strong arm his demands into action. He was still a prince in his own right, he always got his way, he was too stubborn to accept anything less.

 

“Woman, I told you to pull over!” he snarled, watching her hand snake up to caress her collared neck. They were going faster than ever. The truck’s new speed crashed them over dune after dune, giving them a bumpy ride. What had gotten into her, had she gone mad? He was close now, close enough to hear the silent beeping coming from the ring of silver around her neck. The tiny chime had been drowned out by the rumble of the engine and the wild wind blowing in from the open window before, but now it had his undying attention. That, and attempting to rip the the girl from her place in the driver’s seat and over his lap to switch their positions; he had to take control of the situation.

* * *

 

Her POV

She fell onto the passenger’s seat when Vegeta threw her out of the driver’s, but Bulma didn’t care or even seem to recognize he’d done so; she was too focused on the intense sting of the electrocuted by the shock collar. She clawed at it, curling into a ball and rocking and moaning in pain. She should have known, but it’s not like she thought that it would increase this much, this fast! What was she supposed to do now? Not that she could even properly think steadily other than beginning to jerk around in a spasm. The only thoughts coming to her mind was a series of a single word: off, off, off, off, off!

 

When she was able to regain herself to the point of being able to try and solve her situation–which wasn’t much; she was still having a series of spasms–she clawed open the glove compartment and began fishing around helplessly, for literally anything that could help her in this situation. A gun. Bullets. Papers. A knife! The collar may be metal, but Bulma wasn’t thinking clearly, other than the clear thought that she absolutely had to get this goddamn collar off of her.

 

She gripped the collar best she could and started trying to saw at it with the knife with her other hand, desperately– though as soon as she began, she was just met with electricity going from the knife up her hand, causing more spasms that made it impossible to continue to saw, ending with her slipping her hand and cutting her chin. Was this how she was going to die? Agonizingly, just for trying to obtain some freedom for herself? It was beginning to look so, and she was starting to lose consciousness.

* * *

 

His POV

No sooner had he gained some semblance of control over the truck that the woman riding in the passenger seat beside him began to convulse. Vegeta’s head shot in her direction, watching the uncontrollable spasming of her lithe body across the bench. A seizure? No, something was causing it; it was that thing around her neck that she was clawing desperately at. And then he heard it, the soft begging of ‘off’. It was an electric collar, why hadn’t he realized earlier? It explained the beeping as well as the pain she must of been going through. She was trying to pull it off, the damn wench.

 

His foot hit hard on the gas, refusing to give into her soft pleading breaths. He had a few choices, let the girl die in the seat beside him, push her out of the moving vehicle, or… God damn it, why the hell should he even be considering helping her? Sure, she’d helped him, more than helped… she’d pulled him from deaths door, but did that give him any reason to give a damn about what happened to her? He shouldn’t care, he didn’t, yet his gaze traveled to her again, just as she pulled a knife from the glove compartment and began damaging her soft human skin in a desperate attempt to free herself of the static pain. He could hear it sizzling her flesh by now…

 

“God damn it!” he cursed, switching his foot drastically from the gas pedal to the break, slamming them to a halt. His hand swept over her, as if he were reaching for the door, perhaps to push her out into the sand. But he didn’t, instead he grabbed for the knife, wrestled it away from the dying woman, and went for the collar around her neck instead. Instantly, electricity shot through his body like wild fire. The bolts of energy surging through his system caused his muscles to jerk and his fingers to seize up, but he wasn’t letting go. Sparks snapped between them like two lightning rods, just as he began to pry the metal apart. He was trying to force the lock to snap, however it felt as it the harder he pulled, the higher the voltage that ran through his system. It wouldn’t have been so difficult if the electricity wasn’t making his muscles disobey him. But then the metal gave way in a vicious snap! The sudden break forced their two bodies apart. Vegeta could handle a lot, but how much damage could a human body take?

* * *

 

Her POV

Before she knew what was happening, she was flying toward the windshield from Vegeta stomping on the break. But before she could hit the dashboard, his hand jerked in the way and she was grabbed. The knife was wrestled from her, though she gave it up fairly willingly just because she was too sidetracked with the pain of being shocked to have strength to do anything, much less fight against a Saiyan. She thought he may just shove her out the car, and she’d be forced to lie in the sand and die. But instead, his fingers clawed around the collar and he began forcing it apart. A stronger shock ran through her body, and her skin burned, but just when she thought it was useless– the collar ripped in half, and she jerked back against the seat.

 

Her hands came up to her neck immediately. It still burned, but she was no longer getting electrocuted. She was free. When was the last time she’d felt her neck be completely bare? She rubbed the tender skin gently, her eyes wide as she stared at Vegeta. He’d ripped the collar off. …They were equal now, she supposed. She helped him, he helped her. They both saved each other from death’s door. She could appreciate that. Her eyes slowly moved away, and the feeling of blood dripping onto her fingers and down her neck caught her. It was from when she cut herself before. She grabbed the fabric of her robe that slumped now that it was free from her collar and pulled it up; pressing it tight against the wound she’d created on the bottom of her chin. The burns on her neck still sizzled and stung her. She could smell the mixture of blood and burning flesh. It reminded her of bad memories better left forgotten.

 

“…Thank you,” she murmured, still feeling jittery from having electricity running through her body at such high amounts. She curled her legs up onto the seat and against her. A gulp. “…We’re even now. Thanks.” Why would he even bother helping? Maybe Frieza’s lackeys were better men than she first thought they were, if they were so willing to help someone that was deemed an uneducated whore. Or maybe thi swas at least part of the reason why Vegeta left. He was different.

* * *

 

His POV

The vehicle went eerily silent once the live piece of metal broke free from the girl’s neck. The two halves were slung from the Saiyan’s hands, thudding their way into the floor board. His skin prickled and his hair stood on end. There was a distinct buzzing sensation throughout his structure and the bullet holes that peppered his body stung as if they’d been doused in alcohol, but it wasn’t anything too bad. Even his fingertips gathered little more than red burns, thanks to his hard calloused skin. However, the girl didn’t look to have fared as well, the car smelt of blood and burning flesh.

 

Still, he ignored her and the soft sound of her catching her breath. Throwing the truck back into drive, they tumbled once again over the dunes. The soft purr of the old engine was disrupted by the girl’s words. She was thanking him, what a laugh. It was just as she’d said, they were even, squared. She’d merely proven useful to him, there was nothing more to it, so why thank him? He refused to look at her, despite wondering over her ridiculous gratitude.

 

“Don’t thank me just yet, woman, I could still push you out,” he warned. However his actions spoke otherwise; he was steadily driving the car. It didn’t look like he’d be stopping any time soon either, with how he kept his sights on the desert ahead of him. While he’d wanted to rest for the night, well, being electrocuted had given him a new found adrenaline rush. Vegeta didn’t want to stop now. It looked like she’d get her wish after all, they’d be driving through the starry night.

 

“What the hell was that thing around your neck, anyhow? Don’t tell me I have a slave riding shotgun, that’s all I need. The lowest of the low.” He finally side glanced her, giving her a half curious, half wicked snarl. The truck rumbled over another dune, shaking up the cabin. Though he’d asked, Vegeta knew there were only a few reasons why. Either she had been held against her will, or she was into servicing clients with bondage fetishes. He highly doubted the later. The way she’d been crying ‘off’ returned to memory. While she’d just escaped from the collar around her neck, he’d just accomplished the same metaphorically. Looking down at the broken metal made him feel no better than a slave, realizing he was no better than a dog on a leash. Or at least, before he’d snapped his own kind of collar. His foot pressed on the gas, he was never going back.

* * *

 

Her POV

He threatened to still push her out, but didn’t act. Instead, they only continued onward. She stared at him in silence, still pressing the robes to her bleeding wound. Her eyes eventually moved to focus on the night sky out the windshield. It was somehow more beautiful now that she knew she was free. Free from her old life. There was no way he’d be coming for her now, and her collar was finally ripped off her. She closed her eyes. Let out a sigh. And then Vegeta spoke up. Her eyes opened again and she focused in on him, driving and only glancing at her. A slave? A slave, a whore– all the things he assumed of her weren’t necessarily wrong, but they were still at least somewhat offensive. She brushed it off and went back to staring at the night sky.

 

“I was one of the many wives of Dr. Gero. Maybe you’ve heard of him. He did some shady dealings with Frieza every once in a while. I don’t know anything beyond them being close. I didn’t really care about the politics, and I wasn’t really there for anything but his entertainment and for pregnancy. My old village got raided and my sister and I were dragged off and sold to the highest bidder. I don’t really know what happened to my sister. I’m sure my parents are dead. It’s been a while. I’m lucky I’m not pregnant, to be honest. I’d kill myself if I was.” She leaned back into the seat and closed her eyes yet again. She was in pain, but after dealing with all she did, she was beginning to get tired.

 

“What are you doing out here? Frieza’s men have it nice, I thought. You’re able to go wherever you want, and do whatever you want. I’d know. If I wasn’t Gero’s wife, I probably would have gotten raped more than a few times by Frieza’s men.” The terrible truth. The desert was not a forgiving place. She breathed in deeply, forgetting about her past life and instead welcoming the freedom of fresh air. It smelled different, all the way out here. It smelled more pleasant. She enjoyed it. If this is how everywhere else in the desert smelled, she’d accept her new life with even more of welcoming arms than already. She should have done this long, long ago. God, she was so glad to be gone. She was so glad to be away from her old life.

 

“Hnn… I guess this is kind of pathetic, in a way, isn’t it? Two freaks that ran away from a cushy life. …I wouldn’t call my life back then cushy, but I know a lot of people that were grateful. Some of the other wives would get angry at me when I’d complain about it. We were well-fed and all, but… Eugh.” Like that made up for being fucked by a disgusting old man every night.

* * *

 

His POV

“Gero,” he repeated silently. Vegeta had definitely heard the name before. It was the name of that old ugly bag of bones that often came sniffing around Frieza’s hide whenever the emperor had an ailment, wasn’t it? His nose scrunched, stealing one more glance towards the sleepy beauty. So, she held a little more value than he’d originally given her credit for. Still, she was nothing more than a sex toy when it came down to it. It wasn’t a surprise, really. She was beautiful, not even he could deny that. Suddenly he felt a slight sense of rare pity for the girl; just a twinge of annoyance. If it was the same old coot he assumed it was, well, no wonder she ran away from a life of servitude to a face like that.

 

“Same as you, I suppose. I got sick of sucking an old tyrant’s cock.” His words held vengeance in them. He was metaphorically speaking for himself, but he assumed she of all people would understand. He couldn’t have agreed more with her words. Food was not worth ratifying one’s dignity. It’s what had gotten him into the mess he was in now. Though he wasn’t exactly as innocent as she was when it came to how he’d gone about getting said food and …entertainment. He’d lead a soldier’s life, and as she’d stated, it came with a wicked reputation, but it was the only thing he’d ever claimed as his own, until now.

 

The hours began to dim and bleed together. The night sky, which had never been so full of stars, lead them in their decent into the endless dark. His sights kept returning to her, drifting from the desert road and back over her dreaming head. The slivery lavender of her long hair dripped down the seat she lay upon, reflecting the starlight vibrantly. Before he knew it, his eyes had slipped from the road and had taken to watching her for what felt like minutes, hours. Again and again, the same soft coo of her breathing and the same gentle rumble of the engine lulled around him. The image of her slumbering body filled his mind to its farthest edges. The picture skipped and fluttered, like a record stuck on repeat; ripping its way back to the beginning, only to play over again.

 

And then the clashing sound of iron against iron screeched through his pounding head, dragging him into a painful reawakening. His eyes shot open, gathering his whereabouts once again. Damn, that’s right, metal bars. While he’d never regret the vicious behavior he’d last night, it had gained him some unwanted attention. Fighting had always been his go-to when getting out of a jam, but in the end he couldn’t hide his face from everyone. Throughout the brawl someone had recognized the ex-soldier, and from then on the gangs of mangled men had been on his tail. He’d been out numbered, run down, and cast into chains.

 

The night prior had left him badly beaten. The cage that rattled around him was laughable, but the lack of energy he felt left him feeling heavy. His hung-over gaze filtered past the bars, pressing his cheek bone against the rough steel. There were several men, bounty hunters by the looks of it, he was being transported by cart, and they were on the move from one settlement to another. They were the type that’d pick up anyone that looked worth a quick buck along the way. And if he recalled correctly, they planned on selling his ass to Frieza, dead or alive. Great, out of one nightmare and into another.


	2. The cage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our Prince awakes from his recent nightmare, but what has he gotten himself into this time? And who is this new character..?

Cub POV

He’d chew through these bars if he had to get a bite to eat! So what if he tried to nab some food? They’d told him they’d feed him and house him and everything if he just listened to what they said! He was hungry, so he’d just grabbed some fruit from a vendor while no one was looking–wasn’t hurting nobody, and they already said he’d be fed! But then they treated him like a thief! Told him he was lucky his hand wasn’t cut off and dragged him to this stupid cage to get hauled off to a real jail cell to do some time. They didn’t even let him eat the fruit first! He gnawed on the bars, glaring hard at one of the men walking beside the moving cage. Holding an apple. Waving it in front of him. His eyes followed it with viciousness. The men made the mistake of getting too close, and the boy’s arm jerked out to try and get ahold of the fruit. He nearly grabbed it too, damn.

The guy laughed at him and spit in his face. Like he didn’t understand how it felt to be a growing boy and be starving. Rather than gnaw on the bars, he simply pressed his face between two of them, as if trying to phase through them. He couldn’t even get his head out– though maybe it was for the best. Things would go wrong if his head got stuck. They’d probably leave him in the heat to get picked apart by vultures. If the vultures didn’t get eaten by him, first!

The man continued to wave the stupid fruit in front of him, despite the ravenous look in his eyes– or maybe because of it. He lashed out again, and this time was fast enough to catch the fruit. At first the man thought that he could pull it away, but the boy’s grasp proved strong. He fought back. And as soon as he managed to rip the fruit from out of the man’s grasp, a quick and painful shock caused his body to spasm and drop it. He looked to the source– one of the men riding directly in front of them, controlling the camels and holding a long metal tube that was charged with electricity. The boy grimaced, and his stomach growled.

He turned to the man in the cage, who seemed to finally be waking up. Good; he was beginning to think he was sitting in a cage with a dead man. He still looked half-dead, that was for sure. He blew a gust of air from his nose, looking at the older man. Was he hungry as well? He couldn’t help but wonder. With any luck, he could get out of this. He knew what that tail meant. He was a Saiyan; extra powerful. Who’s to say he couldn’t break out of those chains and rip this stupid cage to shreds? Saiyans were supposed to be able to do amazing things. That’s all he’d ever heard.

“Old man! Old man, are you hungry? I’m hungry! Are you hungry?!” It was clear what he was asking him, other than what he was literally asking him. This kid had no time to waste. His stomach was growling, and he was only able to fight for so long on an empty stomach. It had a way of draining you. Though the sight of fresh fruit in front of him, just outside of his grasp– now that was a motivator.

* * *

 

Prince POV

Oh, great, it looked like he wasn’t the only occupant of this confounded cage. The majority of the commotion that’d woken him from his nightmare, was a boy. A brat, more like it, whimpering against the bars for a bite of food like a starving pup. The man’s black eyes rolled, finding the entire ordeal irritating beyond words. He went back to counting heads, picking out his tactics, and devising a plan …and then the kid decided to bring him into his whining about food.

Old man, old man?! Who the fuck was this brat calling old man?!

“Shut up, you little twerp! Or I might just eat you and pick my teeth with your bones!” The angry Saiyan surged forward, puffing himself up like a dominant gorilla, but he never fully stood from his spot. He was just asserting himself. More or less, he was trying to get the kid to shut his trap. The prince’s words caught the attention of the men transporting them. It’d been the first signs of life from Vegeta since they’d chained him behind bars. It was about time to poke a little fun at their royal prisoner.

“Hey, rise and shine, princess. Did you have a nice nap?” Sneered one man.

“I hope you’re enjoying the royal accommodations,” laughed another.

“We thought you’d died on us,” mocked a rider. Insults and jabs were tossed between the men, laughing and amusing themselves at the prince’s expense. It very obviously wasn’t going over well with the caged man, judging from the foreboding expression that was digging its way into his darkening features.

A rolling growl was the only forewarning of the things to come. The man lunged towards the bars, reaching his muscular arm between the sun-baked iron. It scared the nearest camel and shook the men into sudden panic. And then the man with the long electric prod took matters into his own hands, and shocked the Saiyan back into submission, or at least that’s what the driver had been going for…

The electric blast ripped a roar from the Saiyan’s throat, but it wasn’t the sound of pain. It was an explosion of anger. The Saiyan was quick, too quick for the men to control him. Before the driver could pull back the electric rod, Vegeta had his arm wound around the pole and ripped the device right between the bars, almost pulling the driver right off of his saddle. A moment later, the rod was thrown into the floor of the cart as a crumpled, useless, sparking wad of metal. Their captor’s attention was on the Saiyan, now.

* * *

 

Cub POV

That wasn’t the answer the kid was looking for! He glared with teeth barred at the Saiyan. Didn’t he want to get out, too?! He must have been hungry, sweltering in the sun like this! Grrnn… He caught the eye of an entertained captor, which made him angrier. But before he could complain and throw a fit, all hell broke loose. Someone had said something to piss off the Saiyan more than he already had. A camel was spooked, and the men began to panic. The kid knew what was coming next, given that he’d been prodded with a reminder moments before– the damn shocking rod. He eyed Vegeta as he was electrocuted, but things didn’t go as anyone seemed to expect. Vegeta grabbed the rod from the man and threw it down between himself and the boy, destroying it.

There hadn’t really been time for the boy to act through all this; it had happened in mere seconds, if even. But after his young mind had a moment to process what had just happened, a shit-eating grin ripped across his face. Ha! He jumped up to the front of the cart, shoving his grubby hands through the bars and trying to grab onto the man that had previously had the nerve to shock him. He was leaning just out of his grasp in a panic, but the boy had no fear and only tried harder to reach him.

“What are you going to do now, asshole?! Give me my fucking food or I’ll have you! And your camels! What are you going to do now, huh?! You can’t hide behind your stupid weapon any more, can you?!” His hands went from trying to grasp the sand-caked white robes of the camel driver to holding onto the bars. He puffed and began to try and force them apart. The man gave him an incredulous look, but after some puffs, he was managing. Inch by inch. He’d get that asshole! He got it just far enough that he could comfortably stick his head out between the bars, but it was then that another captor used a different weapon against him– he was slapped harshly with the end of a whip. Once, and then twice, and thrice, and the kid stumbled back to the safety of the cage with red and bleeding lines along his right cheek.

“Gn… Cowards! I bet you wouldn’t do that to this guy, would you?! Fuck off!” He threw up the middle finger at the captor, and then turned to glance at the older man. Would he try escaping now? He was tired of being in here! He was hungry! He’d be damned if he had to wait around just because this big guy that could clearly take all of them didn’t feel like ripping through these bars like the ape he was. “Come on, you’re a Saiyan, go show all of them who’s boss! Come on! Like you did just a second ago! None of them are bothering to try and touch you!”

* * *

 

Prince POV

Once the men had the look of fear return to their faces, Vegeta returned to his corner of the cell. Hunkering down, he felt his belly begin to roll with growing hunger. The kid was right, he was damn hungry. It’d been at least a day since he’d eaten and the passing hours would only make fighting worse. Still, he watched rather than attacked. The commotion the brat was making was both bothersome and somewhat entertaining. He had to give it to the little shithead, he had some spunk about him. He wondered how long it’d be before it got him killed or perhaps one of the men’s hands bitten off. He’d enjoy watching either outcome.

And then the kid took him by surprise. Grown men, at least adult humans, couldn’t bend iron bars. That’s what this damn cage was built for, for keeping them trapped, but this brat was making his way through the tough iron. Vegeta watched with new intrigue, though hid his interest behind a detestable scowl. And then the crack of a whip sliced the kid’s face open, and Vegeta suspected it’d all be over from there. Surely the kid would give up now, but nope. He was proving to be stubborn, and noisy… And getting him involved again. The little shit.

For a moment a skittish silence fell over the men. Vegeta wouldn’t try anything just because this kid was goading him on, would he? They all watched, and then one man decided to interrupt the brat’s yammering by smacking his big hand on the cage, rattling it just behind the kid. A few more moments dragged by, Vegeta still hadn’t moved from his place, and the men’s anxieties began to wash into nervous laughter.

“You’re wasting your breath, kid. This ain’t no Saiyan, he’s a traitor. We’re taking him to get his weak ass beaten back by Lord Frieza. I’m afraid he’s all washed up,” the man said with crude sarcasm. Laughter broke out between the men, imagining the rewards that waited for them once they’d handed over the monkey’s head. But as the men were just gaining back their dominance, Vegeta had finally had enough. Weak, was it? That’s what they called him, and the mention of Frieza had certainly caused a twitch of his eye lid. He wasn’t just fucking around this time. No, this time the monkey was about to get serious.

He took them off guard. The bars were bent within seconds, and Vegeta lunged for the rider pulling the cart. The driver was torn from his camel, and another of the men’s heads went rolling into the sand, his headless body spurting blood like a fountain. It was like watching a lion devour an unsuspecting heard of gazelle. A gunshot fired and a whip lashed, but neither was quick enough. Vegeta had one man’s neck in his hand, snapping it when the man’s camel ran out from under him. The whip caught in his other palm. Pulling the whip, he yanked the man from his ride. Tangling the cord around his opponent’s neck, Vegeta strangled the life out of him. The rider-less camels scattered, leaving nothing more than dead men, a broken cage, the boy and the Saiyan.

* * *

 

Cub POV

The man behind him smacked the cage, and some other idiot explained about what a traitor the other captive was. The boy’s nostrils flared. So what?! He had to have been important to be captured like this, right?! He opened his mouth to argue with him, but in no time at all– Vegeta flew into another rage. He bent the bars far further than the kid managed to, enough for the grown man to climb out and grab the camel driver. He watched his death. And the death of another. The boy climbed out from the cage as well as he watched this happen, and in the midst of the chaos, his eyes fell on a basket of fallen fruit that had been ost from all the running and death and distraction. He jumped off the cage to the fruit and began shoveling it into his mouth, and when he was grabbed by one of the captors, they were met with a punch right to their face, powerful enough to send them flying into the sand and cause a massive nosebleed.

He dropped into the sand as Vegeta finished off the fight and continued to shovel the fruit into his mouth, finally quenching both his thirst and his hunger. Apples and pomegranates and all kinds of fruits those assholes had been enjoying and tempting him with– this is what they deserved. Fuck them! And when it all ended and he was finishing up eating even the core of the apples, the scene grew quiet. Everyone was either dead or long gone, and other than himself, Vegeta, and the cage… There was only really a lone camel, terrified and tied to the cage, having been too confused on which way to go when there had been chaos all around it. At some point, the other camel from the cage had been cut free; this one probably couldn’t even tug the cage along by itself.

He looked up to Vegeta, quiet. Expecting something, though he wasn’t really sure what. Where would they go now? He was at least quenched–though certainly not full–and now they were just standing alone in the empty desert. Who knew where the nearest town was. The wounds from the whip stung from the sweat on his skin and the heat of the sun’s rays; it would be nice to get out of this situation as soon as possible. But when he looked around, he didn’t see much. Just sand. They’d been going for some time, and it looked like their destination was nowhere close.

“Hey, whatcha gonna do now, huh?” He already suspected Vegeta would take the camel. But would he leave him behind? The kid sure as hell hoped not. But just in case, he began looting the bodies- taking any snacks they had on them, as well as each of their water flasks. He could probably make it on his own, if this guy decided to leave him in the dust. Still, it’d be nice to come with. He went back to looking at Vegeta, his eyes squinting as he stared up toward the direction of the sun. “You know where the nearest town is, maybe? I mean, I’m just gonna guess it’s the direction that camel’s headin’, but I dunno. It’s easy to get lost in the desert. Everything still looks the same ta’ me, and I’ve gotten lost plenty of times. …You probably know all ‘bout that, though. Ever spent the night in a camel’s insides before?”

* * *

 

Prince POV

Death lay strode around him, a welcome feeling. With as weak of a fight as the men put up, it was a little embarrassing to consider that they’d ever over powered him the night before. Granted, he had been drunk, and on the run for a few days, but still, pride persisted a shameful feeling. Kicking over one of the corpses, Vegeta began his own looting. He was after a flask, which he quickly sucked dry within a matter of seconds. He was going to do the same to the rest, but it looked like someone had beaten him to the idea…There was that damn kid again.

The bowl of fruit was empty too, to which he angrily kicked over in the sand. Ignoring the kid’s questions, he went for the last camel. The beast pranced and yanked its head away at the sight of the approaching saiyan, already afraid of he may do, but Vegeta managed to quiet it. Ripping the cart free of the saddle, he began searching the old leather saddle bags for more food. His torn desert garb hung unevenly from his shoulders, a sign he didn’t give a fuck towards his appearance.

Jackpot, a bag of fruit, and his weapons to boot. With an apple lodged in his canines, he buckled a gun belt back around his waist and then began to lead the camel off into the blinding desert sun. Leaving the boy. He didn’t look back, he didn’t give a damn if the kid was lost, and he honestly couldn’t care. He only looked out for number one, and this kid was nothing more than a thorn in his side. His eyes rolled in annoyance. The kid just couldn’t shut up, but it wasn’t stopping the hard-headed saiyan.

“Beat it, kid. Go get yourself lost somewhere else,” he bit viciously. Though, he hadn’t shooed the kid off like he had the men. That’s when the thought occurred to him. This brat had seen him, heard his name and knew he was alive. Vegeta stopped, looking back. He really should kill him; it was the smartest thing to do. Not witnesses, no loose ends. Leaving the camel, he prowled closer and closer yet. His heart was murderous. The darkness in him burned without mercy… But then the unusual shade of the boy’s hair caught the light of the desert’s sun, shimmering its way into Vegeta’s sights. That terrible lavender color. He loomed just over the boy. Glaring down, he swiped one of the brat’s flasks and then returned to his camel.

* * *

 

Cub POV

Rather than answer any of his questions, Vegeta had opted to take the camel and tell him to beat it, just like he expected would happen. He let out a huff and looked around, wondering what direction he should even go. It’d probably be best to wait for the guy to walk for a while before following; that direction was probably the closest to civilization. But just as he made that decision, the man stopped and looked back at him. He couldn’t make out his expression well in the dark silhouette that was haloed by the sun, but he began getting closer. That was never a good sign. He didn’t let any cowardice show, however, and stood his ground as Vegeta approached, close enough to block out the sun and let the boy get a better look at him. He stopped, and they stared at one another- Vegeta staring at him with a cruel look that was more visible now, and the boy with furrowed brows and a scowl to match.

He expected some kind of violent attack with that expression, but no. He just reached out and swiped one of the flasks from him. He allowed it without complaint and watched the Saiyan retreat, his tail flicking behind him. The sun again blinded him as the shadow followed the man, and after a moment of deliberation, the boy began to follow him. He just knew better than to talk right away. He gave him time to stew in silence, instead just opting to eat all the snacks he’d come across. The water was a different deal, but he was still hungry. He was better off getting completely full and then slowly working off that hunger than being mostly starving the entire journey. That might work for humans, but he could go long enough periods without food that this was the best course of action. He was experienced enough by now.

But they just kept walking, and walking, and walking. His tan skin burned in the heat, and the blood of the wounds he’d gotten today had since dried and stuck to his skin, cracking and sticky. He was getting somewhat tired, and the desert’s sun was lower in the sky. How long had they been walking? Would they find shelter before the sun began to set and temperatures began to drop? Damn, he didn’t want to spend the night in another camel. And who the hell knew if Vegeta would even share a camel with him. He was a big guy, who’s to say there was enough room?

“…Hey, you think we’re gonna find shelter soon? What if it gets dark? I still don’t see anything on the horizon. Ya think we got the stuff to make a tent or somethin’?” Talking as if they were some kind of team. Hey, it worked sometimes. He did it on purpose; some people took pity on him and would just go along with it. Maybe he’d get lucky.

* * *

 

Prince POV

The boy glared, and Vegeta glared right back. He’d expected to be met with some sniveling show of fear, terror, or panic, but it appeared the boy had bravery in spades, and then some. After all, despite telling the brat to hit the road, he was being followed… Hadn’t he just witnessed him decapitate a gang of men? What, did the kid have a death wish? Whatever, let the kid bake in the sun, he wouldn’t last long, not as long as a grown Saiyan at least.

Vegeta had made a lifestyle out of ignoring others. As far as he was concerned the kid was nothing more than an un-welcomed shadow, a mirage made by the blazing desert sun, or a pest. He really should have killed him; even now he knew he should knock the kid off. But the one time he did look back, he caught a glimpse of those fierce blue hues burning from the kid’s skull and promptly returned to ignoring him. Still, he could hear his small feet padding their way through the thick dunes of sand and hear the tiredness in his breath. If he kept moving throughout the night maybe he’d lose him.

“What’s wrong kid, afraid of the dark?” His rough voice burst, followed by one vile laugh. He was mocking him. The Saiyan knew why the kid was anxious about the falling sun. Darkness brought unspeakable cold, but Vegeta could turn just as cold and black hearted. Yet, as the sun kissed it’s last rays against the desert horizon, ushering in the cool night, he couldn’t help but think it’d be a little bit of a shame for the brat to die so soon. He had proven his strength in their time in the cage, he’d earned a little respect by his ballsy mouth towards his captors, and he’d had the nerve to stare him down. To be blunt, he’d caught the Saiyan’s attention.

The camel grunted and groaned to a halt. There was nothing but barren wasteland for miles in any direction. It was as good as any place to camp for a few hours. Immediately, Vegeta began rummaging through the various bags that hung from the camel’s saddle. There was still a few pieces of juicy fruit left, a stash of cloth most likely for a bed pad, utensils, and ah, a camels whip. It looked like they’d be roughing it tonight - there was no sign of anything to burn for warmth.

The roughed up man gave the kid another sour glance. The kid had asked if he’d ever spent the night in a camel, and while the cold would bite at him, it was nothing he couldn’t handle. Still, there was no need to let the kid know he was stopping to keep him alive. He was merely, resting. That’s all. And rest he did, right up against the camel’s side, taking a bite of a nice big piece of pomegranate. The rug like cloth was tossed over the saddle; however the man was clutching the sack of fruit like a ravenous animal.

* * *

 

Cub POV

He didn’t even give a real answer. The boy huffed in irritation at Vegeta, though after a moment… He stopped. Had he finally listened to what he said? There was no way a Saiyan could be this dumb to try and brave the freezing temperatures of the cold, dark desert night alone. He stopped as well, watching as the man began searching around in the camel’s sack and pulling out what he found. More food. A whip… Fabric… Nothing of use. And the way he looked back at him… Vegeta knew it. The boy squinted at him again, furrowing his brows and wrinkling his nose. What was he looking at him like that for? …It seemed they were stopped for the time being, though. Hopefully they wouldn’t have to deal with any sandstorms, too.

He sat down on the hot sand, still keeping relative distance from Vegeta as he stared at him. Food… He was still hungry. Although he was better off eating all that food earlier, he still wished he had more. Damn, did he like food. What would he do for a nice, warm piece of kabob… Alongside a cool, refreshing drink of lemonade. His stomach gargled. Damn… He dropped down, letting his little head hit the sand. He stared up at the sky, beginning to grow a little orange as the sun got ready to set. It’d be nice to take a nap here, but he’d probably sleep through the cold and end up freezing to death somewhere along the way.

He just had to wait for this guy to fall asleep, that was all. Either he’d rip open the camel himself with his bare hands and sleep inside after dragging the organs out far enough that he didn’t have to deal with vultures… Or, if Vegeta did it himself, he just had to sneak up to him and sleep there with him, hoping not to get kicked out overnight. He was a little bit of extra warmth, right? It would be beneficial to the guy. …Just so long as he didn’t start getting grubby hands. He’d had to deal with that far too many times before, as a little kid out on his own. It was disgusting how many perverts and pedophiles existed. But it was merely a fact of life that the kid had to acknowledge and deal with as need arose.

His stomach growled again. Gn… He shifted the flasks he’d been carrying and took one of them, screwing it open and gulping down its contents. Made some water would help ease his stomach. His goddamn Saiyan stomach. He wished he didn’t get hungry so easily. Yeah, he could go for long periods without eating if he really wanted to, but sometimes he was jealous of humans and their ability to just eat a small amount of food and be able to go for hours and hours just on that. It was like, snack-sized to him. Not even. Crumb-sized, maybe. How did they sustain themselves on so little…?

* * *

 

Prince POV

He could feel that he was being watched. The Saiyan’s dangerous teeth sunk into yet another juicy fruit, this time a pear. Its liquid sugar surged down his chin, he had to wipe it up and lick it from his salty hand to keep the valuable calories in his mouth. Another, and another fruit, until the bag was half empty. The brat may have been a growing boy, but it took mounds of food to quench a full grown Saiyan’s hunger. His eyes filtered towards the boy again, grunting through his eating as a warning to stay put. He’d let him follow, and even rest for the night, but he’d be damned if he shared his meal.

And then he was blessed with a crop of pine nuts just waiting for him under the remaining fruit. Greedily, he scooped up the golden seeds, shoving the welcome protein into his maw. As famished as Vegeta was, it was still damn difficult to fully enjoy his food when he was being stare down like that. He could hear the brat’s stomach growling from where he sat. If he didn’t know any better… the kid almost seemed to be partially Saiyan. It wasn’t unheard of, but it was uncommon. Vegeta had suspected it since witnessing the boys impressive strength (impressive for a child, anyhow). He certainly looked to have the appetite of a growing Saiyan, too, with how he was yet again looking for food. Unless human children ate just as much? He wouldn’t know, and thinking about it only irritated him to the core.

“What are you looking at, halfer? You are a halfer, arn’t you? I’ve never known human’s to eat so damn much,” he said as he shifted his weight, turning his back on him. He didn’t want to see that hungry, glaring look any more. It wasn’t his problem to feed the kid. Especially if he was just a human and not one of his kind. In his opinion humans rarely ate. While he on the other hand felt as if he could devour the camel that was just behind him. In fact he was really thinking about it. He let out a breath, digging his hand back into the bag of fruit, but as he did a nice big juicy pomegranate rolled out and stopped just short of the camel’s butt.

The sun had cast its last rays and the cold chill of night began to set in. The dark over took them, thanks to the lack of fire, and the only light provided came from the hanging stars above. But with darkness and cold, came life. Bugs and lizards particularly, and one such lizard was unlucky enough to cross over Vegeta’s boot. He snapped it up and bit the head right off, it still wriggling in his grasp.

* * *

 

Cub POV

Vegeta questioned him. Clearly he was not happy about him watching him, staring at him as he ate the fruit. Eventually he turned. The boy let out a gust of air through his nose and instead just looked around at the sky. Clouds passing by… Colors slowly getting more vibrant… Weather getting colder already. Sand did not cling to heat. The desert was very quick to lose the warmth the sun had given it. …He’d called him a halfer. He looked up at the man from the cool sand, staring at the back of his head as he ate with his back turned. Halfer– a term used for someone that was half-Saiyan, half-human. He’d been called that a lot. It seemed pretty obvious that he was. He looked like a human, but had the appetite and strength of a Saiyan. A halfer.

“I dunno, probably,” he replied, rolling onto his stomach and resting his chin in the sand. His hair was now filled with little flakes of the dry dirt from the dunes, catching the sun at certain angles between his strands of lavender hair. “I didn’t know my dad. Barely really remember my mom. She was human though, I think. That’s who I got my hair from.” And she didn’t have a tail– or at least… He was pretty sure that she didn’t have a tail. He’d been separated from her for a long, long time, and was only a little kid when he last saw her. Littler than he was now, anyway. He was sure others would still call him a little kid.

Night came in no time at all. Maybe ten, twenty minutes, and the sky had turned from vibrant pinks to a deep, dark blue. The desert grew cold, cold enough for the boy to begin to shiver in his white clothes that showed off too much skin. He didn’t even have a blanket. Gn… He should have been smart enough to try and pry the clothing off of some of those dead bodies. He was thinking too much about his stomach.

He looked back at Vegeta again. He was eating a live lizard. It was a grotesque sight, but you did what you needed to survive. The kid had certainly eaten worse. Besides, his stomach was rumbling louder now. A lizard would be far more welcome than the flies and mosquitoes he’d eaten before. He sat up and began looking around, trying to find life. Movement in the sand… Come on, he wanted a lizard of his own to call dinner, too. Or two. Or three. Maybe a handful.

* * *

 

Prince POV

Vegeta stopped mid-chew at the boy’s reply. Something he’d said had struck the beast, but it didn’t take long for the man to brush the feeling off and return to his meal, eating the rest of his lizard. “It’s a common human color,” he explained to both the boy and himself. “Idiotic too. Too easy to spot in a place like this,” he scolded him further for the tone of his hair, something the brat couldn’t control. Thanks to the information the boy had given him, it was all starting to make sense now. The boy probably did have some Saiyan heritage to him. It wasn’t uncommon for most halfers to be born to whores or victims that’d found themselves trapped under a passing soldier. He’d said he didn’t remember his father, which only solidified Vegeta’s suspicions that the kid was a throw-away bastard.

“Your father was probably some lowlife soldier,” he murmured between handfuls of nuts, scornfully side eyeing the kid. He didn’t sugar coat the truth, he blurted it right out. Tossing the near empty food bag aside, the ex-soldier rested his weary back against the camel’s side. He watched the kid for a moment just out of blatant curiosity. The scowl he’d given him earlier had been all too familiar, and the way he rested on the sand brought up memories he’d long since buried. Looking at him was starting to feel like some cruel twist of fate. Perhaps this was karma finally catching up to him. A punishment of sorts.

The cold was starting to creep through the layers of his clothing, but the Saiyan still hadn’t taken a knife to the camel’s gut. He wasn’t planning on it, either. Why kill his pack animal when he could survive the cold just fine? Sure, it was uncomfortable as fuck, but he’d rather kill the beast when he was starving rather than for one night of stinky warmth. Stretching out his leg and getting comfortable, his boot shifted the sand. A flurry of lizards popped out from the top soil, scared by the sudden cave in of their desert burrow. Their light colored bodies were nothing more than quick moving ghosts under the light of the night sky. Vegeta slit open one eye, watching rather than hunting down the bite sized snacks this time.

* * *

 

Cub POV

“Yeah, probably.” He brushed passed all those comments about his hair, just nodding along. Whatever, old man. But he could at least acknowledge what was probably true about his father. He was probably just some soldier that wanted a pretty woman to get his rocks off. The boy knew how the world worked by now. He’d seen plenty of unsavory stuff. Some of it he didn’t really understand, some of it he understood just fine. He’d witnessed rape before; he understood adult men had some weird urge. Something about power and dominance or something. He was too young to truly understand the feelings that drove them to those actions, but he understood it happened, that was for sure.

He watched Vegeta throw away the empty food bag with a scowl. He had been unsuccessful in seeing any lizards nearby. He grumbled under his breath about it, but his luck seemed to finally arise when Vegeta plopped down. A group of lizards began fleeing from the ground, and without a moment of hesitation, the boy started grabbing as many as he possibly could, having to dig them out of the sand for some of them. He shoveled them all into his mouth without cooking them or even killing, just hoping the crunch of his teeth would be enough. They weren’t appetizing in the slightest, but it did help contain his hunger.

When the remainder scattered away, the kid’s eyes moved to Vegeta as he finished swallowing what was left of his meal. Wasn’t he cold at all? Then again, he was wearing more clothing than he was. The kid usually found somewhere to sleep by now that was warm; he didn’t stay under the sun with protection from the freezing cold temperatures. He shivered. How was he even going to sleep in this…? The guy wasn’t even going to rip open and sleep inside the camel…? What an idiot. Come on… 

* * *

 

Prince POV

It wasn’t easy to ignore the kid as he chased the hoard of lizards across the dunes of sand. They were quick dirt devils but the brat proved to be quicker. He’d seen fennec foxes have less luck. Alright, maybe he was slightly, very slightly impressed by now. That didn’t mean he had to like the kid though, or care if he made it through the night. In fact, the very appearance of the halfer made the ex-soldier want to turn over and ignore him completely. To which he did as soon as the last lizard was gobbled down.

“You’re not killing my fucking camel,” he groaned from where his back was turned. He’d seen that look in the kid’s eyes, the way he’d been staring at his pack animal. The boy was wondering when he was going to get to crawl inside it’s hollowed out body cavity, obviously. With or without permission, Vegeta was sure. It wasn’t happening. His tail flicked behind him, a sign that he was still awake and thinking, but what about, he kept to himself. Vegeta wasn’t one for conversation, but he guessed as long as the kid made himself scarce he wouldn’t have to kill him, tonight at least. The option of killing always hung in the air around Vegeta, he knew that, it was the way it’d always been.

The nightly desert horizon stretched before him. The soft glow of the starlit sand looked like a fine mist under the black velvet of the diamond studded dome above. There was the occasional movement, the rare sound, but mostly darkness. It was a sight he’d seen a thousand times through several different lives. His nose burrowed deeper into the cloth that hung around his neck, inhaling his own warm breath, until only his sights remained. Once he was convinced there was nothing for miles that may creep up on him during the night, his eyes slowly began to drift. His tail stopped twitching, and eventually he was asleep.

* * *

 

Cub POV

The bad taste of raw lizard lingered in his mouth. He kind of wanted to puke, but he was too hungry for that. And he’d had far worse to eat before that. He swallowed it all down and grabbed one of his many canteens of water he’d stolen. The boy sucked it down and looked to Vegeta, again staring at the camel. He was quiet, but Vegeta seemed to catch on. He told him one simple thing, and the kid’s nose wrinkled. He caught on? Course, he didn’t have anything to rip open the camel’s stomach with, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still thinking about it. Why was this guy so crazy that he’d just outright kill the camel for warmth? He was shaking like a leaf!

He moved a little closer to Vegeta, but decided it was best to stop. Despite his shaking. He didn’t want to get hit. Or worse. So instead, he… He waited. Waited, and waited. Vegeta seemed to be settling down, somehow drifting off to sleep despite the terrible cold. And eventually, he moved less. His tail stopped swatting. And the kid decided he wanted to risk getting closer. Though he took his time with that, certainly– he only moved closer bit by bit, until he was close enough to touch Vegeta.

He stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, checking to see if he was asleep. He was, by the look of it. He moved closer to Vegeta. He sat down beside him against the camel, and moved yet a little closer, until the heat that radiated off of Vegeta warmed his little bones. Not much stirring from him, so he assumed he was fine. And so the kid got comfortable, and eventually fell straight asleep, leaning against both Vegeta and the camel. Much better than lying only in the cold sand, shivering for warmth.

* * *

 

Prince POV

For a long time it was a dreamless sleep. Darkness prevailed around him, allowing the beast some well-deserved rest. Vegeta’s senses were always on alert; ready for something to attack in the night, but the deeper he fell into slumber the more his senses were blurred into something else. Into a familiar trance. At first it felt like nothing more than a recognizable place, a comfortable setting, but then the sensation of vertigo took over. The world around him began to warp uncontrollably, dragging him back into the black abyss. There was a voice, a face, a color. It was trying to tell him something, but he couldn’t make any of it out. Then, a warm hand stretched out of the darkness. The moment it reached his side, his eyes snapped open.

Instantly, he was aware of an uninvited bundle of warmth weighing against his hip. It was a miracle the ex-soldier didn’t toss the kid, sneaking up on him as he had. Before he was even fully aware of his surroundings, Vegeta shoved the brat away as far as he could. He shook out any remaining sleep, coming to. It must of been that damn halfer that’d caused his delusional dream. The unfamiliar warmth had sunk into his subconscious, he gathered. What was the kid’s problem, curling up to him like that? Next time he better stay on his side. That is, if there was a next time. Vegeta planned on dropping the cub off at the next settlement.

His eyes raced towards the horizon, finding his strong footing in the sand. It was that rare hour just before twilight, when the sky still clung to the cover of night. It was a good time as any to get a move on. He’d slept enough. So with or without the kid’s knowing, the man took his camel’s reins and headed out into the desert. Granted, he did climb up on the pack animal this time. It’d be a long trip into town today, no need trekking the whole damn distance on foot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's been a while since this Fic has been updated, huh? It's still being written so the updates may come only once a month or so. Luckily I have a few more chapters already to post! So they should keep coming! Anyhow, I hope you're all enjoying!

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, he was dreaming :) Did anyone get that he was dreaming until it was revealed? I'd love to know! I hope you enjoyed it! I'm loving this AU so much. There is some art for it already on my Tumblr if you want to check it out! I can't say when this AU will be updated next due to it being an ongoing Roleplay as I type this. I'm writing for Vegeta and my wonderful friend is writing for Bulma/Trunks. Thank you everyone! I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Art link:  
> http://galacticpridefulprincevegeta.tumblr.com/post/161842231415/galacticshark17art-cappuccino-cosmico-an-art


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